Bill > SB1717

This bill creates a new criminal offense in Tennessee for knowingly violating a "no contact order," which is a court order prohibiting contact with a specific person. This applies to no contact orders issued before a defendant is released on bond after being arrested for a domestic abuse offense, or no contact orders issued as part of a defendant's sentence, probation, or parole after being convicted of a domestic abuse offense. A domestic abuse victim is defined by Tennessee law as someone who has experienced abuse by a family member or intimate partner. Violating such an order is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, which is a serious misdemeanor offense in Tennessee, and the bill also clarifies that the offense applies to individuals who have been both arrested or convicted of a domestic abuse crime.